


Going Along With It

by scarlettholly



Category: Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Aqours, And just ur average homophobia as well, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Internalized Homophobia, ig?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 01:09:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28894914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarlettholly/pseuds/scarlettholly
Summary: Misunderstandings often cause rumors.When one about Riko and Yō dating spreads, they are both forced to deal with it and the turmoil that is their feelings.
Relationships: Sakurauchi Riko/Watanabe You
Comments: 10
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

The sun had set rather suddenly, causing Riko to walk home in dim and darkening light. She had spent a little time after classes in the library studying which had made time pass; it grew late and now the way home was bathed in dull orange hues. Some other students who had just finished with various different clubs trailed out keeping her distant company as her feet carried her down familiar streets.

She didn’t get very far before a problem arose. A boy around her age, maybe a little younger, approached. As expected, he tried to flirt in a shameless and brazen manner, and Riko had no idea how to respond beyond diffidence. She awkwardly mumbled something indistinct and clutched at her school bag tighter. The advances just escalated, leaving her at a loss.

A voice called out in a brash avowal as someone stepped in front of her. A white baseball cap filled half of her view. “Leave her alone.”

The boy reeled back a little, shooting this intruder a glare. “What’s it to you? She your girlfriend?”

“Yes.” A hand, firm but gentle, grasped hers, suddenly pulling Riko closer and hitching her breath. “Now leave us alone.” 

A click of the tongue filled the air sharply before he waved his hand in a noncommittal way, clearing a bit of the thick tension he’d just created in a gesture of vague goodwill before he sulked off.

The hand that clutched onto hers let go as the person pivoted around. A big grin adorned the face of an eager and earnest seeming girl, she scratched behind her head.

“Sorry about that, _babe._ ” The joke surprised Riko; she stared dumbfounded at the newcommer’s attempt at alleviating anxieties. Sensing it missed the mark she scuffed her shoes on the asphalt. “I wanted to get him to leave you alone.” 

Just as Riko was forming a reply, her train of thought was cut short by a wolf whistle that resounded and rang in her head. They both turned; a group of girls from school were smiling at the entertaining show that had just been put on. A sentence Riko never wanted to hear in her life followed. 

_“I didn’t know you and Riko were dating!”_

As Riko tensed up, the newcomer looked a little off balance, pointing to herself. “Huh, me?”

“I always guessed you might be…” One of them trailed off, smiling devilishly in place of saying that horrible word that was to be avoided, and spoke of only in hushed tones and with hostility. 

“I think you might have the wrong idea...” 

Someone cooed in a shrill voice. “No need to hide it Yō!” 

The newcomer, apparently named Yō, tried to laugh it off awkwardly as confusion started to grow on her face. Riko had seen this all before, and knew nothing would pacify these people other than the power trip of gossip and teasing that toed the line of bullying. The way Yō seemed to react so adversely suggested she might actually consider these people friends, which was unfortunate. The feeling obviously wasn't very mutual.

They giggled a little, growing bored and continuing their day with a cruel pride in their strides. One of them shot Riko a smug look as she passed by.

“Invite me to the wedding, ‘kay?”

Yō, perplexed, let them continue to walk all over her as she was unable to voice anything other than a quiet and futile protest that only Riko could hear.

“Hey now…” Not that Riko was anything better, standing there passively, silent and too meek to speak. Still Yō didn’t notice, she turned to Riko and casually scratched behind her head again. “Sorry about that. I think my joke gave them the wrong idea.” 

“They’re going to spread rumors.” Riko mumbled, staring down at the ground and wishing it would swallow her. 

“Michi-chan wouldn't do that.” Yō laughed it off again, seeming more unsure with each passing second. “You think?”

Riko sighed, turning to her and spitting out a harsh remark. “Why did you have to do that? I was handling it. Now everyone is going to think I’m some sort of...”

“I was only trying to help.” 

Being honest, Riko knew she wasn’t handling any of this well. The thought of people whispering behind her back was a familiar and dissonant tune that for some reason she kept repeating, unable to hear anything else. She owed Yō a thank you but instead gave her nothing but a cowardly glare before turning away. She walked quickly, hoping this would die down and wouldn’t cause any more problems. 

The next day she was proved gravely wrong by a panoply of reactions, ranging from taunting remarks to gentle reassurances. 

Every one of them was bothersome. Riko didn’t want any of this. She was a boring person and while she truly hated herself, it was easier to settle that way. That was why she gave up her passions and kept her feelings repressed.

To make everything worse and brew more trouble with good intentions that unassumingly paved the way to hell, Yō found her at the start of the first break. She called out to Riko in front of everyone in her class and one of the girls from before had that same devilish smile, mentally noting the situation down, gaining a little more ammunition. 

“Hey Michi-chan!” Yō smiled at her across the classroom earnestly before she turned to Riko and let out a laugh that sounded more like awkward huffs of breath. “Can we talk?”

“Fine,” Riko replied, getting up from her chair and grabbing her school bag. She waited for Yō to lead them out of there and probably cause more problems. They walked through halls and past the bustling noise of other students until the two of them came to a quiet stairwell. Glancing around, they decided here was as good a place as any. There was no such thing as privacy from prying eyes anyway.

“I think you were right…” 

Riko sighed, this was all getting out of hand and she hated it. “Well, what now?”

“I don’t know! I guess we should try to explain and stop any rumors.”

“Explaining didn’t work well before.” Riko’s shoulders slumped as she realized just how hopeless this was. Her school life had been a fitting kind of bland, her days gray and uninteresting, but at least they’d been free from this nuisance. “No one will believe us and the more we try to clear things up the worse it will get.”

“Oh…” Yō stared at Riko, hesitating a moment before saying something that Riko never wanted to hear in her life. “Then… maybe we should go along with it?”

Moments raced by, Riko locked onto the deep blue of Yō's earnestness, unable to break the gaze. Her mind was moving just as quickly, unable to stop in a confused, hopeless display of mental languish.

“W-well if we go along with it for a bit then say we broke up because we aren’t–” she left that word out; too much of a coward–“maybe it won’t be so bad after…?” 

Riko recoiled. “I don’t want everyone thinking I'm a _dyke_. I’m not like you.”

Was it any good to try and protest? Wasn’t that how everyone already thought of her? They were probably just looking for a moment to confirm their suspicions. Yō’s fuck-up was perfect for it and caused a wildfire to spread all over school. It was too late. Feeling a little sick, Riko sucked in a sharp breath and tried to steady herself.

“This is all your fault.” She spat out, glaring down at Yō. There was a potent malice in the air that lingered like a thick incense, clinging to the sweat on Riko’s skin. Despite placing the blame on Yō over and over, her true hatred lied with her pathetic and weak self, the one that could only hide. “Your plan is going to make everything worse!”

There was a flicker of hurt that lingered just long enough to be noticed before it was quickly shoved away in place of an awkward half-smile, half-grin.

“Do you have any better ideas?” 

Clutching at her skirt, Riko stared down at the floor. Not a single word left her mouth but the answer was loud and clear. 

Yō’s voice was soft and casual, even after everything which called into question it’s honesty although maybe that was paranoid musings. “It’ll be alright. Trust me.”

Riko had no choice but to agree with a weak nod of her head.


	2. Chapter 2

Going back to class after her world had been turned upside down felt like the calm before the storm. Yō had given her phone number and now it rested in Riko’s contacts as a detached ‘Watanabe Yō’ without a heart or any such thing that couples usually do. They might have been going along with this awful idea, but that didn’t mean they needed to play pretend in private.

She sat down at her desk and felt someone’s eyes on her, burning with curiosity and mockery. School work was a shield, something to take her mind from this torment, but her focus was transfixed on her new ‘relationship’ and all its possible consequences. 

Riko had always been quiet and played by the rules, being as good as she could be. She didn’t mess around, she studied hard and she used to practice rigorously… Her lifestyle always left her little time for romance, though maybe that was her excuse. It worked and kept her safe. She didn’t have to be involved in something that only caused problems. Unfortunately, life and its callousness had found a way to forsake her anyway.

Riko sharply pressed her pen into the paper, her breath hitching as ink pooled, creating a black dot that made her feel sick. 

She would talk to Yō. Tell her this was all a terrible idea. Tell someone what was actually on her mind for once in her life. This pretend relationship needed to stop, before it got even worse. Her pen didn’t move from the well of ink that entire lesson as her mind raced over and over. 

Time moved on as it always did; no matter how long you feel it takes, every second ticks at the same pace. When the bell rang, Riko raced out of class, narrowly avoiding bumping into someone along the way. She came to her shoe locker, quickly about to slip off her school slippers when a voice called out.

Stomach dropping, she turned to see Yō and another girl who seemed just as peppy (annoying) as her. Holding back a scream of frustration, she looked to them both then forced her lips into an awkward half smile. “Hello, something the matter?”

The friend stepped forward, and started investigating Riko like she was both a work of art and a prized cattle. Eyes peered at her curiously, looking her up and down before shining with a delight that turned her stomach. The words that followed were even worse. 

“So this is your girlfriend! Nice to meet ‘cha! Takami Chika. Wowie. I couldn’t believe it when Yō told me she was dating someone but you’re the real deal.”

Riko shot Yō a look, only to be met in return with a ghost of a shrug-like gesture. Three other girls peeked around the shoe racks, curious at all the motions. The word girlfriend certainly was interesting, wasn’t it? Disgusting too. 

“I-I think you might have the wrong idea…” Riko mumbled hopelessly. 

“Sorry. Are you guys trying to keep it quiet?” Chika asked, looking genuinely guilty. 

It seemed there was a lot going off with her, like the type that was earnest to a fault. Same as Yō. The three girls that had been attracted by the noise scuttled off as subtly as they could.

Riko sighed, hoping it would fill the air with the despondent dread that ran through her veins. “What’s the point?”

Chika and Yō looked between each other, hesitating at such a dull reply. Eventually they seemed to silently agree on an action and Chika spoke once again. “Anyway… We’re getting ice cream, do you want to join us? They have one that’s called ocean strawberry and it’s  _ sooooo _ good.”

“No thanks,” Riko replied too curtly. It stalled the conversation yet again and Yō’s smile flicked before it was forced to an uncanny grin. Gulping down the dread and the bile that was rising up her throat, Riko tried to seem a little less defensive. “I have to study, you see, and my mother probably wants me home… Maybe next time?”

For how long was she going to always fall back on that excuse? Hiding behind that good girl act was so easy, but eventually cowards get a retribution of sorts. Was this now hers? She imagined it would be much worse, but there was still time. 

“Sure.” There was something in Yō’s tone. A little more perceptive than what was comfortable. “Good luck studying, Riko-chan. I’ll call you tonight, yeah?”

Wait, what? 

“Y-yeah!” Riko faked a nervous smile and simply went along with whatever plan was being put in place. Seemed like a phone call? Maybe they could get this mess sorted out. “Tonight.” 

With that Chika and Yō seemed content. They bid her a warm goodbye and walked out the ground of the school, to the gates. The way they turned to each other and talked was full of casual affection. Chika gave a friendly nudge; You scratched behind her head. There was probably a bright smile on both their faces.

Riko shoved her school slippers into her shoe locker. 

The realization that she had no one like that left a bitter taste. That's what she got for always playing the ‘boring honor student, don't bother getting close to me’ card like the coward she was. She put her shoes on and wandered home alone; the entire walk, ice cream was rather pathetically on her mind.

When home, Riko looked in the freezer, staring into its depths wondering if there was anything good, like maybe ocean strawberries… She sighed and shut the door just a little too forcefully but it had no repercussions. It only made Riko realize she needed to calm down and not let this bother her as much as it did. 

Heading up to her room, Riko changed out of her uniform then laid face down on her bed, wishing it would swallow her. Wallowing in self pity and hatred for a little while, Riko pulled herself from that lull and decided to actually do things she needed to do. The future phone call lingered overhead, filling her mind with heavy static that drowned out the scratch of her pen as she studied. 

When was  _ tonight _ , anyway? She asked herself that question over and over like she was trying to figure out calculus.

The call came at 6:30 something. ‘Watanabe’ Yō lit up on her phone screen with the option to answer, but the decline looked so inviting. Chastising herself for being a stupid coward, Riko accepted the phone call and mumbled a weak “Hello?” 

Yō’s gentle voice filled the air by Riko’s ear as she pressed the phone closer. “Hey Riko-chan! How are you doing?”

The reply was stuttered. “Good… you?”

“Yeah good! You should have come with us. Chika’s really nice. You’d like her I think. Do you like idols? Because then you’d really like her- Wait, wait. Sorry, getting off topic.” Some shuffling sounded from her end of the phone. “I wanted to talk. Well, I think we need to.”

Riko willed herself over and over to say what was on her mind. It came out rushed and harsh. “I don’t want to do this anymore!” 

“Figured…” Yō’s voice was heavy, sinking hope even more. “I think it’s a little too late though.”

“I know that…”

“I want to say it won't be that bad. I want to be dumb and optimistic about this, but I don’t think I can lie to myself  _ that _ much…” She laughed nervously, backing it up with yet another apology that made Riko irritated beyond belief. “Sorry for everything.”

“Will you stop saying sorry all the time?” Riko spat out, quickly trying to find her words. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m the one who’s been so fucking stupid and let this all escalate. I’m like that though. Never say what I think until it’s too late…”

“I’m glad you are now.”

That made Riko falter a little. She was being way too open and letting her emotions get out of control. Her honesty and resolve ebbed. “Why did you call me?”

“I wanted to figure out what we are going to do… I think I’m going to tell Chika the truth about our thing, and I wanted to ask first. Because I didn’t the first time and that was… Well, I should have.”

Riko involuntarily shook her head. “No, it’s fine. Tell her what you want.”

“It would be nice if we could be friends. I know this is a little… well, it’s not great, but I’d like to get to know you!”

Why was Yō far too kind to those who were awful in return? Riko regretted everything she had said in her cowardice now more than ever. Yet she clung to it, using the same excuses over and over. She clutched at the hem of her shirt; her heart ached as she put on a familiar act.

“I’m a bit boring. I don’t think you would enjoy getting to know me…”

A silence lingered.

“Okay, Riko-chan. See you in school tomorrow.”

“Wait-” Riko cut herself off as she realized Yō had already ended the call. 

Why? She stared at her phone, wishing something would appear on the screen and end her limbo. There had been no chance to bring up their fake dating or solve anything but that wasn’t her current focus. It was an utter confusion at the indifference. Did Yō already grow tired of her self hatred or did she see through her? Riko hoped it was neither. 

She fumbled around for her phone charger, plugging the lead in and then placing it on her bedside table, face down.

She stared at it anyway, knowing there would be no other calls. There was nothing that could come and break this ennui. This had been the closest chance and yet she still spurned it. Riko knew, if she ever wanted to change, she would have to be the one who made the leap. An apology was where she should start.

She picked her phone back up. Scrolling through her contacts until she found ‘Watanabe Yō’, Riko started to type a message that was reworked over and over. It shifted from long to short to long again as the language changed from formal to too formal. 

Riko groaned in her frustration; she couldn’t do this. Screwing her eyes shut, she knew it was because she was too scared to be honest and put her feelings out there. One more try. Riko started to type again, but this time heartfelt. She looked the message over and over before sighing and hitting send.

_ ‘I’m sorry for everything. I’d love to get ice cream with you sometime.’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you [ Asallia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asallia) for the beta I adore you


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